After Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated that no Hindu is a terrorist, Kamal Haasan declared that Nathuram Godse, a Hindu, was Independent India's first terrorist. Godse killed Mahatma Gandhi on January 30, 1948. When asked by
ANI what she had to say about Godse, since she too has been accused of being a terrorist, Pragya Thakur stated in Hindi, "Nathuram Godse was a deshbhakt, is a deshbhakt, and will always be. Those who call him a terrorist should look within. Such people will be given a fitting reply in this election."

This is not the first time in this election cycle that Pragya Singh Thakur has made a controversial statement. Thakur is an accused in the Malegaon blasts case. After being fielded by the BJP in Lok Sabha polls she had said Hemant Karkare, who was killed in action during the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, died because she had cursed him. Karkare, former chief of Mumbai's Anti-Terrorism Squad, was probing the Malegaon case.

She had also made a controversial comment about the Babri Masjid demolition stating that she was the one who demolished the structure and no one could stop her from building a Ram temple at the same spot.

GVL Narasimha Rao of the BJP responded to Thakur's statement by saying, "BJP does not agree with this statement, we condemn it. Party will ask her for clarification, she should apologise publicly for this statement."

The Congress has fielded veteran leader Digvijay Singh opposite Pragya Thakur in Bhopal. Congress Spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala slammed the BJP and asked why PM Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah "chose to remain silent" after her comments on Hemant Karkare. "Why did they not withdraw her candidature the first time around? Instead, PM Modi went on TV and defended her."

"Prime Minister Modi and Amit Shah must come forward, withdraw her candidature and apologise to the nation," he said. "She has insulted the entire nation, and it is unacceptable and unpardonable. Modiji, you go abroad and become Gandhian but your own party candidate is praising his killer. Is this the true colour of BJP?"